Jesse Marsch defends Leeds United display in Crystal Palace loss and issues defiant promise - YEP 9/10/22

Jesse Marsch bemoaned Leeds United’s inefficiency in the final third but defended his players’ performance in the 2-1 defeat by Crystal Palace.

By Graham Smyth

Leeds started the game brightly, pressing with an intensity that created panic and errors at the back for Palace. So when Pascal Struijk found the net, after brilliant work from Brenden Aaronson, it was a deserved 1-0 lead.

But individual errors allowed Palace a route back into the game, Odsonne Eduoard heading in from a free-kick to level midway through the half.

The goal bred confidence for the hosts and they took control in the second half, fully deserving to go ahead as they did when Eberechi Eze took advantage of some sloppy defending to beat Illan Meslier with a fine effort.

Marsch made a number of second half changes to try and turn the game around, bringing Joe Gelhardt on for the final seven minutes, but Palace managed the latter stages expertly and were rarely troubled.

"I think the performance in the first half, we should have been able to come in with a lead and maybe even a two-goal lead,” said Marsch.

"If you look at a series of matches, where there's been games where we're much in control of the match for major portions, we're not scoring enough goals. So we have to find a way to continue to be effective in the last third and and when we're on top of matches to capitalise.

"[Palace] made some adjustments, they started chipping balls in behind our midfield line and then they were able to move out of our pressing at moments and then the game was a little bit more in the balance, but even second half I don't think was a bad performance. We're just not able to be dangerous enough.”

Marsch said his captain Liam Cooper knew the free-kick that he conceded, which led to the Palace equaliser, was unnecessary, and the head coach was disappointed with the defending of the set-piece. His main take-away from the game, though, was the need to turn good moments into goals and results.

“Sometimes the clarity of options, the clarity of movement, the quality to make the last play, the decision making it's a little combination of everything, but my experience is that it comes together,” he said.

"It's hard for me we, have a young team and we need to keep developing, but most of the teams I've coached we scored goals in bunches. And here we just aren't able to reward ourselves in big moments when we create advantages and are often on top of the game. We've got to find a way to get leads and then add on to them.”

Marsch was without Junior Firpo, who he says has picked up a minor injury and will be ready for Arsenal next week, but the American welcomed Patrick Bamford back to his starting XI at Palace. The centre-forward was presented with a golden chance to make it a goalscoring return but was unable to take it, with the score 1-0 to Leeds.

"I thought first of all that Patrick's clearly in physically good form, so that's a big bonus,” said Marsch.

"And then we just need to keep getting him fully game fit and fully ready and sharp. But in general, I thought he was okay. I think on a day where he's a little bit sharper and fitter, he finds a goal and I think he can be part of the solution moving forward, in terms of being more dangerous.”

Marsch is adamant the team, who are now winless in five and have taken two points from those games, are good enough to get back on track.

“We just have to live in the moment,” he said.

"We can't allow stress and fear to be built into what we're doing and we have to continue to believe and we will, I know that we have the right kind of people in the dressing room to do that. We like our group a lot. I like this team. I love this team. I really do. And I believe in this team, and I know that we're going to improve and keep getting better.”